How About a Houseboat on Lake Cumberland in Kentucky

The houseboat on offer in the video is a tad grandiose and I'm guessing around $150K or higher but it will need investment for solar and other upgrades to reduce dependency on diesel, etc.  (Ithaka:  "Das Hausboot Song" (Gedicht) | Deutsch / English)




2006 Jamestowner 15' x 56' Widebody

Single Mercruiser 3.0 Liter (Approximately 79 Hours), Westerbeke 12.5 KW Generator (Approximately 505 Hours), 2500 Watt Inverter, MMC Electronic Shift Control, Flybridge, Roof Top Bar w/Refrigerator, Canvas Party Top, Rudder Indicator, VHF Marine Radio, AM/FM Stereo, Central Heat & Air, Top/Bottom Refrigerator, Smooth Top Electric Range, Dishwasher, 4 Bedrooms; Queen Master & 3 Full, 2 Bathrooms w/Type 1 Purasan Waste Treatment System, Last GelCoat in April 2016, Swim Platform, Front Deck Rope lights, Front & Rear Steps, 100 Gallon Fuel Tanks, 2-80 Fresh Water Tanks, 2-80 Gallon Holding Tanks, Single 50 Amp Shore Power.

Was available in 2016 from Houseboats Buy Terry


Here's a more realistic one from the same site.

1987 Sumerset 14' x 61'
Aluminum Hull w/Catwalks

Twin 4 Cylinder Mercruiser Engines (Approximately 430 Hours), Kohler 7.5 KW Generator, 3,000 Watt Inverter w/4 Batteries; Only Hooked into Refrigerator. Inverter Will Run Refrigerator for 30 Hours, 50 Amp Battery Charger, AM/FM Stereo, 2 Roof Air w/Heat Strips, Lazy Boy Sleeper Sofa, Plumbed for a Washer/Dryer, but Not Hooked Up. Top/Bottom Refrigerator, Electric Coil Type Range, Queen Master, Full & Twin Size Bunk Beds in Hallway, Full Bathroom w/Type 1 Purasan Waste Treatment System, Raritan Head, Last GelCoat in 2010, Lower Unit Maintenance in 2014, Water Slide, Rear Steps, Rail Canvas, No Holding Tanks, 2-40 Gallon Fresh Water Tanks, Single 50 Amp Shore Power, New Hot Water Heater in 2015, New Outside Carpet in 2016, Full Front Deck Enclosure.

The second houseboat has a known price of $59K but that's probably negotiable, at least to some extent.

The thing I do not know yet is whether these boats could handle it on the river, ideally the Mississippi.  That would give access to an enormous segment of the country.  The motors may not be powerful enough to push against the current in a river.  It's said the Mississippi Queen, the huge replacement for Cincinnati's beloved Delta Queen riverboat, is said to have difficulty getting to Cincinnati from Nawlins because of power problems.  Unknown if that's true.

Neither of the houseboats above offers anything approaching self-sufficiency but upgrades for solar, batteries, better inverters, etc would go some distance toward achieving that.   For example, the roof is used as a play area and that's just crying for solar on at least part of it.  Maybe the roof needs to be reinforced so you can put batteries and other hardware up there as well.

Call it sixty grand to take it home and maybe twenty or thirty grand to bring it closer to a green standard and you could easily live in one indefinitely.

Ed:  where would you get a hundred grand?

Dunno.  Selling my body?

Ed:  that won't get a hundred pennies.